Worth
by dawnduskdancer
Summary: A picnic. Himawari, Yuuko, Watanuki and Doumeki. Just a few hours in late spring or early summer: thoughts, conversations, food. Implied Watanuki/Doumeki/Himawari and Clow/Yuuko.


It's a warm day hovering between spring and summer, unusually clear for a city that's often hazy. A light breeze ruffles the leaves of the trees dotted around the park. It is, in short, perfect weather for a picnic.

Watanuki and Doumeki are unpacking the food. (Watanuki had insisted that he didn't need any help, but it was mostly a token protestation and Doumeki ignored it). They're working slowly, distracted by Tanpopo's antics as he flutters and tumbles through the air around them.  
Himawari's attention is divided between the boys, Tanpopo and the gorgeous weather. Yuuko-san says it's going to be a long, hot summer (and was the slight sense of foreboding that accompanied the comment real, or just Himawari's imagination?) but for now, it's perfect. Tanpopo flies back to her outstretched hand and chirps a greeting; she transfers him to her shoulder.

A moment later Watanuki is beside her, relieving her of her bag and exclaiming when he sees the chocolate cupcakes that are her contribution. Doumeki sees her and nods a greeting and she seats herself between the two boys.

Yuuko suddenly appears as if out of nowhere. As always, Himawari admires her choice of clothing (a beaded dark purple shirt and jeans embroidered with butterflies) and, as always, doesn't say anything. Yuuko-san's dress sense isn't something you talk about; it's just something that _is_.

"Yuuko-san, you're late," Watanuki says. Yuuko ignores him and starts inspecting the food.  
(As always, Watanuki's cooking is fabulous, Himawari thinks. Today it's pork and vegetable dumplings and they smell delicious.)

"Where did you spring from, anyway?" Watanuki continues. "Why don't you just walk to the park like a normal person? Why – HEY! YOU!"

This exclamation is directed at Doumeki, who is helping himself to dumplings from under Watanuki's nose. Doumeki blocks his ears. Himawari laughs.

"Watanuki-kun is so forthright," she says, instantly distracting him. Doumeki shoots her a look that might be amusement or gratitude (with Doumeki-kun she still finds it difficult to tell) and very deliberately continues eating.

Tanpopo turns up his beak at the dumplings. This isn't really a surprise, as he prefers sweet foods. Himawari, however, eats her fill: Watanuki's cooking skills never disappoint.  
Yuuko seems uncharacteristically quiet. Himawari wonders if something's bothering her, but can't quite bring herself to ask. Watanuki, too, glances her way several times during the meal, and Himawari thinks maybe he's wondering the same thing.

But then there's dessert: not just Himawari's store-bought cupcakes, but a lemon chiffon cake as well. Tanpopo flutters over to inspect them and chirps his approval, then returns to Himawari's shoulder; she feeds him bits from her portion of the cake. (And when her fingers brush against Doumeki's as they both reach for cupcakes, she tells herself that the jolt of something like fear that she feels is due entirely to her usual avoidance of physical contact and not to the way she'd beginning to feel about him and Watanuki.)

Yuuko suddenly stands and announces that she's going for a walk. Watanuki grumbles that if she wants to walk so much, why couldn't she have just walked to the park instead of just appearing like that? Yuuko again ignores him. For a moment, Himawari thinks she sees anxiety in his face. Then the moment's over as he returns to praising Himawari for her choice of the chocolate cupcakes and scolding Doumeki for taking the last one.

It's at about this time that Mugetsu emerges from Watanuki's shirt collar and Tanpopo goes to converse with him. It's an odd conversation, one part bird-chatter and one part silent head movements and tail gestures, but they seem to understand each other. Watanuki says, "I wonder what they're talking about?" and Doumeki watches intently. Himawari smiles: the little bird and the pipe fox look awfully cute together.

It's worth it, she thinks. It's a beautiful day and she's with Watanuki-kun and Doumeki-kun (and if she's beginning to think her feelings for them go beyond friendship, well, let's not worry about that now.) It's more than worth it.

---

Yuuko watches the three from a distance. Being around them, she felt almost as if she was intruding on something, and it's not a feeling she's used to. The knowledge that soon they'll all be put to the test also is something she can't banish.

This park brings back memories: walking here in the snow with Clow, and then (she forgets who started it) pelting snowballs at each other until they were giddy and exhausted. Going home to hot tea (for him) and sake (for her) and kisses and both of them getting carried away…

A soccer ball interrupts her train of thought as it sails past her, narrowly missing her head. It's followed by a bunch of nursery school children and an older girl in a frilly dress and a straw hat adorned with artificial flowers, who trips and falls as she goes to retrieve the ball and stammers a truly heartfelt apology to Yuuko before being dragged away by a young man with glasses and a ponytail. The young children surround them both as they walk away to return to their game. Yuuko watches them for a little while: they'll be tested soon too, she thinks.

Where was she? That's right: Clow. Stupid four-eyed bastard. She still misses him, sometimes. But there's the task he left her with, and while she's still angry with him for leaving, that task is important to her.

She turns and walks back to the picnic spot. Watanuki, Doumeki and Himawari fall silent as she approaches, and she wonders for a moment what they were talking about. She sees Mugetsu and Tanpopo curled up asleep together and smiles in spite of herself. Like the children, the pipe fox and the little bird are growing closer together. It's sweet, really.

"Come on, children", she says. "It's time to go."

---

Author's note: Originally written for Round Four of dimension-shop on LJ.


End file.
